Voutilainen - The New York Watch Auction: NINE New York Saturday, December 9, 2023 | Phillips

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  • Manufacturer: Voutilainen
    Year: 2020
    Movement No: 28-249
    Case No: 280’249
    Model Name: Vingt-8 “Optical Illusion”
    Material: Platinum
    Calibre: Manual, cal. 28, 21 jewels
    Bracelet/Strap: Crocodile
    Clasp/Buckle: 18K white gold Voutilainen buckle
    Dimensions: 39mm Diameter
    Signed: Case, dial, movement, and buckle signed.
    Accessories: Accompanied by Kari Voutilainen certificate of origin dated September 2020, guarantee booklet, polishing cloth, leather travel case, fitted presentation box, and outer box.

  • Catalogue Essay

    After spending a decade restoring the finest horological creations of the past three centuries, Kari Voutilainen became a rising star in the watchmaking scene in the early 2000s. His earliest creations were soon followed by the Observatoire and Vingt-8 series, incorporating movement finishing of the highest level.

    Voutilainen’s dial treatments and finishing, all created completely by hand, are typically instantly recognized by horological connoisseurs, having become something of a brand signature. The present Vingt-8 is no different, fitted with a hand-guilloché two-tone dial in a darker teal-blue and a vibrant ultramarine. It features an optical illusion pattern, which the brain perceives the dial to be almost three-dimensional. While this pattern was featured in a series of Vingt-8s released in 2020, the present watch is unique in that it is cased in platinum, as well as the unique color variations. Reminiscent of the Op Art works of Victor Vasarely, it uses simple color and texture to achieve a psychedelic effect.

    The caliber beating within the Vingt-8, with its extra-large balance wheel and direct impulse escapement, was fully developed in-house by Voutilainen. While it uses a traditional Breguet overcoil, the interior curve is the little known “Grossman curve.” The Grossman curve is a method of bending the balance spring in such a way that it compensates for any gravitational errors.

    Preserved in splendid condition, the present watch is fresh to the market coming from the collection of the original owner. While Voutilanen has become an auction darling in the past few years, an optical illusion dial has yet to appear at public auction, marking this as an exceptional opportunity to own a unique Voutilainen timepiece – without the seven-year wait.

    CONSIGNED BY THE ORIGINAL OWNER

Σ106

A probably unique and extremely attractive platinum wristwatch with two-tone blue handmade “optical illusion” dial, subsidiary seconds, certificate, and presentation box

2020
39mm Diameter
Case, dial, movement, and buckle signed.

Estimate
$70,000 - 140,000 
CHF63,000-126,000
€65,500-131,000
HK$547,000-1,090,000
S$95,200-190,000

Sold for $165,100

Contact Specialist

Paul Boutros
Deputy Chairman and Head of Watches, Americas
+1 (212) 940-1293
WatchesNY@Phillips.com
 
Isabella Proia
Head of Sale, New York
+1 (212) 940 1285
iproia@phillips.com

The New York Watch Auction: NINE

New York Auction 9 - 10 December 2023